Research topics
Discover the diversity of research topics investigated in our laboratories.
Research laboratories
Explore the research laboratories directed by our faculty, and learn how to get involved.
Programs, centers, and institutes
Learn more about interdisciplinary research and learning opportunities.
Research groups
Faculty research news
How assistant professor Jeffrey Cockburn is using computation to uncover how the brain makes decisions
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Jeffrey Cockburn combines psychology, neuroscience, and computer science to explore how the brain makes predictions and improve mental health care.
Psychology student creates organization working to end period poverty
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
She Shelf, a newly formed student organization at the University of Iowa, is working to end period poverty in the Iowa City community.
Dorit Kliemann researches the remarkable social brain
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
This Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences faculty member studies how the brain helps people understand one another—and how it adapts when its networks change.
PBS researchers urge parents to pair words with gestures to boost learning
Thursday, September 17, 2026
A new University of Iowa study by associate professor Ece Demir-Lira suggests parents may be able to help children learn by pairing spoken words with hand gestures.
Ece Demir-Lira investigates why some children thrive and others fall behind
Thursday, September 3, 2026
Ece Demir-Lira studies how children’s brains, environments, and relationships shape learning, with the goal of better understanding why children follow different developmental and academic paths.
Preschool teacher turned researcher: Isaac Petersen's quest to understand childhood behavior problems
Friday, August 28, 2026
CLAS researcher Isaac Petersen draws on his experience as a preschool teacher to better understand children's behavioral issues and improve early prevention efforts.
UI researchers reveal deeper workings of brain’s information hub
Tuesday, August 18, 2026
In a new study, CLAS researchers demonstrate how the frontoparietal cortex handles uncertainty in decision-making and organizes and coordinates responses in the brain and body.
11 UI students awarded Dr. Ken Magid Scholarship to intern abroad
Thursday, August 6, 2026
Undergraduate students participate in internships abroad in summer 2026, thanks to support from the Dr. Ken Magid Scholarship. The fund was established by the late Linda Baker (BA English ’68) in memory of her former mentor, author and child behaviorist Dr. Kenneth Magid.
How three Iowa scientists find inspiration in the natural world
Thursday, August 6, 2026
CLAS researchers Christopher Brochu and Ed Wasserman share how birds and other creatures have unlocked discoveries in their fields.
4 University of Iowa students awarded Leona Zaharis Scholarship to study abroad
Monday, August 3, 2026
Four University of Iowa students have been awarded the Leona Zaharis Scholarship to support their study abroad experiences in summer and fall 2026.